Top Hat/Cloth Cap Castle Combe Easter monday

[Peter Mallett]

hmm,

comittees. Afraid I can't comment on them. They move in mysterious way.

[zefarelly]

I was at the meeting . . .it was only the hot rodders who turned up . . . .everyone else isnt racing this year (or doesnt appear to be)

Anglias where more commonly raced in the 1000cc class early years, its only post 66 when mega modifications really kicked in, GT Cortinas where there and gone from spring 63-64 and the Lotus took over, I love the engineering in the hot rods, but its just not fair racing in the same class as the genuine historics, I guess FiA is a way of segregating, the other would be for them to have thier own 'anything goes' class ??? I dont want them outlawed just it would be nice to compare like for like . . . .and have an idea of how I'm really doing

[Peter Mallett]

Yes I agree but (with respect) you are really racing with the wrong club. The CTCRC is the most original for your class of car or the FIA Historic Touring Cars.

And you make the same point as myself. 1967 was an anything goes year. But that was the only year before the UK adopted Group 2.

[simon drabble]

Zefarelly
you should enter under FIA class or do they not have that anymore?curiously I think your mate Les was about the only Lotus Cortina to enter under that class!!! However its rather humiliating to be beaten by cars that you would have beaten in period just because thay are running oersized engines decent brakes and clad in fibreglass! Why dont they go whole hog and let them run on yoki's then they could really get quick lap times!!!

[Peter Mallett]

Now now Simon. Don't get over excited!

I can see your point and again I suggest that Zef takes a serious look at the CTCRC if he wants to do the sprint type of races. His car would possibly fit quite well.

He's got the Top Hat for longer races so there are choices.

I also believe the CTCRC would welcome him with open arms!

[zefarelly]

Peter, I went to a few CTCRC races as a spectator and it didnt seem much different, the rules are pretty much the same as well, I think I might go and do their Brands Round in May.

I will be going FiA, as soon as Ive taken the photos ands sent the cheque in . . . . .there where 3 Lotus in App K, and 3 Alfas, which I should be nearish to.

[Peter Mallett]

I think you must be referring to Classic Thunder which has the old Classic Touring Cars amongst other things.

The Historic Touring Cars (pre '67) run to a "group 1" format in that you can change the brakes but bodywork and all components except carbs must remain as standard. You can pick up the regs on www.csccgb.co.uk The number of carbs cannot be increased though only a larger version can be fitted. They all run on the same tyres as you.

There is also an FIA class.

[zefarelly]

theyre virtually a carbon copy of the HRSR/HSCC regs I read them all very closely before I decided what to do, at the time I decided there where a lot more FiA cars in the HSCC . . . .but not this year !

[Peter Mallett]

But they don't allow lightened/non original bodywork, multi-linked suspension etc.

The HRSR regs do and that's where your problem lies.

[simon drabble]

Because the HRSR comes under the HSCC umbrella it does get great meetings (Oulton Park and Brands Super Prix being 2 of them) however it is true the two series have an FIA class. In the long run I think it will be hard for all of them to justify not going down the FIA route..

[zefarelly]

er, Peter they do . . . .your allowed radius arms, watts linkage and panhard rods, none if which I have, to FiA spec
not sure about panel work, I think your regs are differrent to the historic saloons, plastic is only allowed if original fitment/option, they do run window glass for some dangerous reason, although in my car perspex was an original fitment and is FiA approved, anglias still get oversized engines (1500) and you can use the taller crossflow block as well which means 1650cc !

[Peter Mallett]

As I said before the HRSR series came about because there were some CSCC drivers who wanted to go modified.

So you could say the original championship was the CSCC nee CTCRC.

I see little reason to go App K unless you want to join the FIA championship. The reasoning being that with App K you can only run the brakes as homologated. With tyre technology and track grip levels improving that is a recipe for danger.

The Classic Thunder Championship came about because there are a number of modified "historic" touring cars out there and they had nowhere to race. Again though you can only run what was allowed in period Group 2, 5 or A. And now of course it includes pre 90 Group N.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by zefarelly
er, Peter they do . . . .your allowed radius arms, watts linkage and panhard rods, none if which I have, to FiA spec
not sure about panel work, I think your regs are differrent to the historic saloons, plastic is only allowed if original fitment/option, they do run window glass for some dangerous reason, although in my car perspex was an original fitment and is FiA approved, anglias still get oversized engines (1500) and you can use the taller crossflow block as well which means 1650cc !

I stand corrected. This must be a recent change then. No wonder the grids are down!

I knew about the engine sizes and that's because they can't get the original blocks anymore.

[zefarelly]

thats probably why they run on **** crossply tyres !!!

[Peter Mallett]

I thought your lot ran on those crossplies.

[simon drabble]

re the brakes - I have always run Dunlop FIA brakes and therefore dont know any differently but I reckon that they are fine just the combo of them and the tyres in the wet which is exciting!
I am not saying FIA is the holy grail but merely a consistent reg and eventually what we will all need to race in europe so lets embrace it rather than fight it a la HRSR etc...
personnally I think that endurance racing offers such better value for money that longer term most will move to this, I cannot see this being good for HRSR or CSCC

[zefarelly]

we do . . . .and as Simon says, Ive never had a cortina with nons std brakes so dont know the difference . . . .when I press they work fine, its just how I press them thats the problem !!!

[Peter Mallett]

Agreed in general. Your reference to comittees is apt. I disagree with some things that my lot has done and as such I'll be looking at the endurance races next year when "hopefully" I can spend more time in the Uk.

And calendars are another point. Good meetings or the timing of the meetings attracts drivers.

But the brakes thing is important to me. I totalled a car at Cadwell because my standard brakes failed.

I now run 4 pot AP on nice fat rotors and discs on the rear. There were period mods for my class of racing BTW.

[Peter Mallett]

Sorry Zef I was replying to Simon. And I meant that the brakes were as per FIA Group 1 regs. (Or the Group 1.5 they used in the UK).

[zefarelly]

brake failure . . . .Ive only had it on the road . . .stacked my old banger into the back of a 5 series the old boy in it was well chuffed, didnt do my insurance premium any good as 19 year old !!!

big brakes and associated technology wasnt really around pre 66, but I'd expect it to be almost compulsory on 70's cars, especially with the power they where producing.

I cant believe that in 63 the Falcons etc ran on drums !!!

[Peter Mallett]

I had it twice on tracks. You'd think that once would be enough. But it is the thing I look for in regs before deciiding on a championship.

[Slowcoach]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the 1500 Anglias are to banned at the end of this season (they gave 2 seasons notice of the rule change) and they have to revert to 1300 - thats why there are quite a few of them for sale on the HRSR website.....

[simon drabble]

you are right slowcoach but then they reversed that decision last year

[neil_davidson2]

If anyone's interested in seeing photo's from yesterday I've updated my website with a selection:
Cloth Caps are here
and Top Hats are here

Neil

[Marshal]

Hi all, thanks for a really good days racing, much fun flagging on the entrance to Bobbies (2nd Chicane)I look forward to you returning with 70's Group 1 next season.

As for the crowd, excellent, even by Combe standards, and Neil, nice pics